Hadley B Webster
Musical
Instrument Shops of Downtown Moscow
(556 words)
In Moscow, Idaho, musicians will find
two musical instrument stores within the downtown area. Both offer
instruments at a range of prices, but cater to different crowds. One
major highlight of the downtown Moscow scene is the accessibility for
pedestrians; everything is within walking distance. The same is
true for Keeney Bros. Music and The Guitar’s Friend. Located just over
one block from each other, they both deserve a visit on a quest for
gear, whether for comparing prices or deciding what kind of instrument
is best suited to you.
Keeney Bros.
Music 123 E 3rd St. Moscow, ID Open Monday –Friday:
9:30-6:00 and Saturday 10:00-5:30 Phone: (208) 882-1751
Keeney Bros. Music is
located on the corner of 3rd Street and Washington Avenue,
just one block east of Main. This shop caters to musicians of all
kinds, offering a variety of instruments from guitars and drums to
classical instruments like violins, cellos and brass and wind
instruments. The store offers lessons for a variety of instruments as
well as the rental of musical instruments for musicians on a budget.
Keeney Bros. is a licensed dealer of Ibanez guitars and Peavey
amplifiers (among others), so there is an array of new instruments.
Ordering from the store catalogue is an option. The store also offers
to buy and sell used instruments. At the front of the store is where
you’ll find acoustic guitars, percussion instruments, and classical
instruments, while the drums, electric guitars and basses and amplifiers
are in separate rooms in the back. Don’t worry if you get lost; the
employees are actually quite nice.
Guitar’s Friend
309 S Main St. Moscow, ID Open Monday-Saturday 10:00-6:00
Phone: (208) 882-1823
Travelling one block west
from Keeney Bros. Music, then turning south for just a few paces down
Main Street will bring you to the Guitar’s Friend, a little shop
sandwiched between an old-fashioned drug store and a local pub. The
glass front is filled with the owner’s private collection of miniature
Marshall amplifiers in a rainbow of colors, adorned with junior model,
small-bodied guitars (the Mini Marshalls are vintage and not for sale,
but newer models can be ordered). Though the shop does offer a small
variety of instruments, it specializes - as the name suggests - in new
and used guitars and equipment. Guitar’s Friend is a licensed dealer of
Marshall amplifiers and Martin acoustic guitars. The shop also offers
guitar lessons. The front of the shop is where you will find a sizeable
collection of used electric guitars and the new Martins are in the back
where they are kept near a humidifier for preservation. Don’t forget,
the shop is bigger than it seems; the amplifier room is downstairs past
the acoustics.
Both stores offer analog and digital
effects, recording equipment, P.A. equipment, sheet music, cables,
strings, picks, microphones and everything else needed by the aspiring
and/or working musician. The owners are friendly, knowledgeable and
experienced salesmen who are glad to sit down and let you play every
guitar in the store through every amplifier to until you find what you
need. Neither business will discourage you from leaving to visit the
other store or compare prices because the staff are mostly musicians
themselves and understand the quest for the perfect instrument for
you.